2020 Global Rapid Rugby season

The 2020 season of Global Rapid Rugby ended after only one round of competition due to the COVID-19 pandemic and was not continued. The season was launched in February 2020 as the first full home and away Rapid Rugby tournament,[1] following the shorter showcase series held the previous year.[2]

2020 Rapid Rugby Season
LeagueGlobal Rapid Rugby
SportRugby
DurationSeason cancelled after one round
Number of teams6

It featured six teams from across the Asia-Pacific region competing for A$1 million in prize money. On 15 March 2020 the competition was suspended due to travel, quarantine and public health restrictions,[3] before being cancelled on 7 April 2020.[4]

Teams

The following six teams were announced for the Rapid Rugby season in 2020: [1]

Team City Stadium Capacity Head coach
China China Lions [lower-alpha 1] Rotorua
Taupō
Adelaide		 Rotorua International Stadium
Owen Delany Park
Coopers Stadium		 34,000
20,000
16,500		 Mike Rogers [7]
Fiji Fijian Latui Suva ANZ Stadium
Albert Park		 15,000
3,000		 Senirusi Seruvakula
Lautoka
Nausori		 Churchill Park
Ratu Cakobau Park		 9,500
8,000
Samoa Manuma Samoa Apia Apia Park 12,000 Brian Lima [8]
Malaysia Malaysia Valke Kuala Lumpur
Subang		 Bukit Jalil National Stadium
Stadium TUDM		 87,411
6,000		 Rudy Joubert
Hong Kong South China Tigers Hong Kong Hong Kong Stadium
Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground
Aberdeen Sports Ground		 40,000
11,981
9,000		 Craig Hammond
Australia Western Force Perth HBF Park 20,500 Tim Sampson
Notes
  1. The China Lions, backed by the China Rugby Football Association and New Zealand's Bay of Plenty Rugby Union, were originally scheduled to host three of their home games in Shanghai. One of those fixtures was moved to Taupō in New Zealand and the other two to Adelaide in Australia due to health concerns relating to the coronavirus pandemic.[1][5][6]

Standings

The top two teams in the standings after the completion of the regular season were scheduled to meet in a grand final match on 6 June to decide the championship title.[9] A modified version of the rugby bonus points system was used.

One bonus point was awarded for each of the following in a game:[10]

  • a team scoring 4 or more tries;
  • a winning team scoring at least 3 tries more than their opponent;
  • a team defeated by a margin of 5 points or under.

Four points were awarded for a win and none for a loss. Two points were awarded to each team for a draw.

Global Rapid Rugby
# Team P W D L PD TF TA TB LB Pts
1Australia Western Force 1100+3772206
2Hong Kong South China Tigers 1100+2583206
3China China Lions 1100+743105
4Fiji Fijian Latui 1001−734000
5Samoa Manuma Samoa 1001−2538000
6Malaysia Malaysia Valke 1001−3727000
Updated: 15 March 2020
Source: rapidrugby.com (archived)

Regular season

The schedule was announced in February 2020.[1]

Round 1
14 March Fijian Latui 22–29 China Lions ANZ Stadium, Suva  
6.15 pm FJT (UTC+12) Try: Radroro
Raiyala
Vota
Con: Tela (2/3)
Pen: Tela (1/1)		 Report[11] Try: Fuatai
Penalty try
Tatafu, Little
Con: Hollinshead (3/3)
Pen: Hollinshead (1/1)		 Referee: Cam Stone (New Zealand) [12]
14 March Manuma Samoa 27–52 South China Tigers HBF Park, Perth  
4.10 pm AWST (UTC+8) Try: Soisoi (2, one pwt)
Sao
Con: Leuila (1/2)
Pen: Leuila (2/2)		 Report[13] Try: Dowsing (2)
Watkins, De Thierry (2)
Prior, Van de Smit
McFeat Smith
Con: Hughes (6/8)		 Referee: Nick Briant (New Zealand) [12]
14 March Western Force 51–14 Malaysia Valke HBF Park, Perth  
6.15 pm AWST (UTC+8) Try: Lacey (2)
Brache, Taefu (pwt)
Bardoul, McGregor
Alcock
Con: Prior (6/6)		 Report[14] Try: Jaggers
Wellman
Con: Nel (2/2)		 Referee: Tim Baker (Hong Kong) [12]

The remaining nine rounds of competition matches and the final were cancelled.

References
  1. "Season One". amazon.aws. Rapid Rugby. 28 February 2020. Archived from the original on 29 February 2020.
  2. Blennerhassett, Patrick (1 March 2019). "Global Rapid Rugby and South China Tigers coming to Hong Kong for two games in 2019". South China Morning Post. Archived from the original on 9 March 2019.
  3. "2020 season suspended". Rapid Rugby. 15 March 2020. Archived from the original on 15 March 2020.
  4. "2020 Season cancelled". Channel News Asia. 7 April 2020. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020.
  5. "All systems go for Global Rapid Rugby". Rapid Rugby. 25 February 2020. Archived from the original on 26 February 2020.
  6. Chadwick, Justin (25 February 2020). "Global Rapid Rugby won't travel to China". Yahoo. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020.
  7. "China Lions play warmup GRR game". Rugby Asia 24/7. 5 March 2020. Archived from the original on 6 March 2020.
  8. Airey, Thomas (21 November 2019). "Manumā the "missing link" to get locals to Manu Samoa". Samoa Observer. Archived from the original on 22 November 2019.
  9. "Kick-off countdown just days away". Rapid Rugby. 11 March 2020. Archived from the original on 7 April 2020.
  10. "Points plus". Rapid Rugby. Archived from the original on 21 March 2020.
  11. "Lions surprise Fiji in season-opener". Rapid Rugby. 14 March 2020.
  12. Dobson, Paul (10 March 2020). "Referees to 16 March 2020". Rugby 365.
  13. "Tigers secure win with late charge". Rapid Rugby. 14 March 2020. Archived from the original on 1 March 2021. Retrieved 14 March 2020.
  14. "Western Force dominant in Rapid Rugby opener". Rapid Rugby. 14 March 2020.
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